Glossary
- Patent bar
- The USPTO's Examination for Registration to Practice in Patent Cases.
- MPEP
- Manual of Patent Examining Procedure, the USPTO's examiner manual and the only reference allowed on the patent bar.
- Prometric
- The testing company that delivers the patent bar at its test centers.
- Registration number
- The number the USPTO assigns to each registered patent attorney and agent; it can be checked in the USPTO's practitioner search.
- OED
- The USPTO's Office of Enrollment and Discipline, which approves exam applications, registers practitioners and handles discipline.
- Patent agent
- A non-lawyer registered by the USPTO to prepare and prosecute patent applications.
- Patent attorney
- A lawyer admitted to a state bar who has also passed the patent bar and is registered with the USPTO.